Review: Nike Studio Wraps

I've seen the Nike Studio Wrap for awhile now, and I have to say I've been intrigued since they first came out. I always do my Pilates, Barre, Yoga & PiYo workouts barefoot, and I like it that way and understand the benefits, but these shoes are just adorable and I've been wanting to try them so I finally carted myself down to the Nike Outlet Store and picked up the full 3-piece set, called The Wrap Pack.

Style: First off, they are just cute. You can wear them any number of ways, and none of them are a bad look. The options at the outlet were minimal, so I went with the basic black. Always a classic, so I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of them.

Comfort: Well, comfort is subjective, and also subject to use. For just wearing around the house, they are quite comfortable. For sports-specific use, I have varying levels of comfort and suitability opinions. The piece in between my toes bothers me for certain things, but I'm not a fan of toe socks, vibrams, or anything else wedged in between my toes. That's a personal preference, your opinion may vary wildly based upon whether this bothers you or not.

Gym Use: I didn't feel there was sufficient support for use at the gym. Not for weight training or even for the elliptical. I made it through my workout just fine, but I just didn't feel it was suited for that. Now, to be fair, that's not the target market, but I wanted to give it a try nonetheless.

Home Workout: For this I tried home-based step aerobics, some dance aerobics, resistance band exercises and general bodyweight work. Either the wrap with the outer sole, or any combination you're comfortable with, works great for these workouts. My step (The Firm Wave) is a little hard on bare feet, so the outer sole, with or without the inner wrap, was a welcome change. I just don't like wearing shoes for home workouts in general, even though I sometimes need them, so these really filled the gap. Enough support without being bulky.

Pilates, Yoga & Barre: For Pilates, I primarily do mat work and the occasional Pilates Chair. For Yoga, it's your basic moves at home and not in a studio setting or hot yoga (well, at least not yet anyway). Barre work is using a home Fluidity barre, but I think this experience would translate well to a studio barre class. For this I used just the basic wrap (and sometimes the ribbons) and I found it to work quite well. There's enough traction to help hold a pose without adding to any bulk. It's completely flexible, comfortable and doesn't bother me too much. I like barefoot as well or better just because of the whole thing-between-my-toes issue, but if you're not home and don't want to be completely barefoot, they're a great choice. If you just want your feet to look all cute and complete an outfit - also a good choice. The outer sole for going to and from a studio is a really nice feature too.

PiYo: As a PiYo instructor, this was the reason I purchased them. PiYo is a unique format utilizing Pilates & Yoga-inspired moves with other bodyweight exercises for total strength & flexibility conditioning. Now you would think that my experience using these for the other types of workouts would be similar, but not really. PiYo is unique, and you move through the various poses rather quickly, which is why I just did not care for these shoes for PiYo. The first half of the lesson, they're fine. From the warm-up through to the Power section, either the wraps alone or even using the outer sole works just fine. There's a lot of standing work, lunges, things like that where they work very well. But once we move into the Flow section, even sooner on certain lessons, where there's a lot of movement through low lunges, warrior poses and such, there's a little too much traction which slows me down, and then it starts to pull in between my toes and I want to rip them off and throw them across the room...which I did. Now if toe socks and toe shoes are your thing, or at least don't irritate the living daylights out of you, you may love these for PiYo as well. I didn't.

Everyday: These shoes do have a practical component as well. The outer flat is functional for daily casual wear. You can even throw them in your purse for walking commutes. I plan on wearing them on my next flight, which hopefully means less drama with TSA. Maybe they won't make me take off the inner wrap during screening. One can hope anyway. Why would I wear a studio wrap for air travel? Oh why not! Like I said, they're cute!

Sizing: Here is where it gets difficult, and where I think you would benefit from a trip to a store to go try them on, especially if you are anywhere in between their rather broad sizing categories. For example, I wear a 7 in street shoes, 8 in running shoes. Now their small goes from 6-7.5, Medium 7.5-9. Since I fall right in the middle, and many of you might, a trip to the store, if one is close, is wise. I ended up purchasing the size 8 Wrap Pack and that translated to a Medium in the inner wrap. The small is tight, but not horribly so, and the medium is fine, and at the end of a long day my feet might appreciate the 8, though to be honest the 7.5 outer would've been fine it just wasn't an option with the Medium inner wrap. If they stretch out, as some have said, it could be an issue, but for now and for me, I recommend going with your running shoe size or at least sizing up 1/2 size from your street shoe. Of course, I recommend going into a store and trying them on and comparing if you are in between. Even if you don't purchase in the store, it's still good to go and be certain which size to order so that you aren't playing return-roulette trying to find your perfect fit.

Price: The Wrap alone will run you anywhere from $30-$60 depending on where you can find them and which color selection you choose. The Wrap Pack is $50 at the Outlet for whatever they have in stock, and varying prices on websites that go all the way up to $160 for the Premium Wrap Pack on Nike's site. I picked mine up at the Outlet store for the not-so-bargain price of $49.95. Well, it is quite the bargain to the I-can't-believe-it price of $160 on the Nike website (granted that's for the premium leather version but still.  Honestly, I think Nike took a page from Lululemon and others who think that those of us who take mind/body classes are missing that part of our mind that deals with practical finances, but hey, they are cute :)

ETC: I wish there were more mix & match options. For now you can only buy the inner Wrap or the full set (Wrap Pack).  It would be nice to be able to purchase additional ribbons or outer soles separately so that you can change up your style without having to purchase multiple sets. I'm not a huge fan of these shoes, but for more options I could become one. Hey Nike, did you hear that?

Running App Review

I previously compared Nike+GPS and Runkeeper and I'll include an update of those 2 apps. I've also tested the free version of Runmeter and Runtastic. I have been running with 2 apps (big battery drain) so that I can compare apps against each other. That, and Nike won't let me import anything and I'm not ready to give that app up just yet.
Android options are still beyond my experience, but assuming the core features are about the same, this is my experience.

Nike+GPS ($1.99) vs Runkeeper (Free) vs Runmeter (Free or $4.99 Pro Upgrade) vs Runtastic (Free version or $4.99 Pro version)

Nike+GPS is available from the apple store for $1.99. It will coordinate with the Nike+iPod program if you've been using that application so all your runs will be available on your account.  

Runkeeper is free from the apple store, and there is an Elite subscription for $19.99/year that gives you access to additional features such as advanced reporting & feedback options, discounts on fitness classes and live broadcasting of your runs.

Runmeter now has a free version and a PRO upgrade for $4.99.

The free version is a highly stripped down version and, quite frankly, barely worth mentioning in a review, but I'll share a bit of my disappointing experience with this app.

There are tons of features, and I direct you to click on the link above and check it out. It's iPhone-centric, so no companion website. It also offers lots of connected social media features, and integration into iCal, which is the one feature that is missing from all these other apps.

I was so excited to see it had a free version and hopped right on it, but was deeply disappointed in what was available for free. Every time I went to try a feature, it was greyed out and only available in the PRO version. No audio cues, no integrated music, no sharing. It did allow me to save to my calendar - woohoo! At least they could offer a free 30-day option for the paid version, that would allow a true assessment of features.  Unless and until a free trial of the pro version becomes available, I'm staying away from this one.

Runtastic has a free and paid upgrade version for $4.99 as well.

I have to say, the free version is just as limited and annoying as Runmeter's free version, but with less features I'd care to pay for in an upgrade. Again with no audio cues, no integrated music, blah blah. There is some sharing with apps such as MyFitnessPal and social media sharing. There's also a companion website to track runs and download your data (nice if you want to import it elsewhere).

The GPS was a bit more accurate than Nike's, and allowed me to calibrate my Nike runs so that they're now virtually identical. That said, because of the stripped down functionality I nearly deleted it, then I got a coupon for a free upgrade - yay!

The paid version allows for all the features I've come to expect, such as audio cues, integrated music, training plans. There's also a live tracking option with cheers that I was excited to check out. I run alone very early in the morning and somewhere in the back of my mind I find it comforting that someone can track my last known location.

That said, I did find the live tracking disappointing. The 'cheering' is someone speaking something like 'I Like It' or whatever that I can barely hear when someone 'likes' your post. Maybe it tells me who said it, I can't tell because not only is it barely audible, but it's in such a muffled and creepy tone that the first time it happened I grabbed my mace, looked around, and kicked my run into high gear for a bit...NOT the type of motivation I'm seeking on an early morning run that's for sure! I wondered if it was a one-time glitch, so I tried the live tracking again - nope, that's actually the way it is. No thanks, I turned that off :(

Nike+ offers actual cheers when someone likes the post. Wish I knew who was cheering, I have to wait until the end of my run to see, but still, better than creepy scare-cheers...eeek!

Also, if you post the live tracking to your feed and then post at the end of your run, it's 2 separate posts. Nike will merge your start/finish posts into one, which I prefer..

If you're into using a companion website, this one has far more features than any of the others. You can see who's running/cycling/whatever in real time around the world, or near you. Pretty cool if you want to find new virtual friends, or stumble upon one of your actual friends that you didn't know used the app. Otherwise, it's not something I ever use.

You can also track multiple activities manually and still have them shared with other apps and keep a complete training history in your app - I like that. No integration into iCal, that's a Runmeter-only feature it seems, and one that would put this app over the top for me.

Runkeeper has made some impressive updates. A slicker look, which is fine, but the real update that makes all the difference for me is the ability to track more activities within the app. I'm still looking for that one app to track all of my fitness activities, and Runkeeper is getting there. Runtastic allows me to enter different activities and choose the name for them, Runkeeper has an 'other' for that, but I wish I could enter my own title. I teach PiYo and do other activities that aren't on the list. Runtastic still wins out on customization, but Runkeeper is getting there.

Community:

The Nike website also has some nice features such as moving to different levels based on total mileage and some positive reinforcement messages from athletes.

Nike also has the ability to receive 'cheers' from your facebook fans, a nice little feature if you're competing in a run, or if you just want some kudos on your every day run.  This feature is only available as part of the Elite subscription in Runkeeper.

Features:

Runkeeper is the hands down winner on total feature set.  You can track various activities and you have several feedback options.  Personally, I like having feedbacks at both mileage and timing intervals. Nike only allows one or the other.

Nike+ also integrates with sites like dailymile, which is a really nice feature if you're using that site as it will import all your runs with ease.

The gps function is weaker on the iPod Touch than on the iPhone, and Nike+ has a built-in accelerometer that helps compensate for weak gps signals, and also allows you to use the app with some degree of accuracy on treadmill runs as well.

Runkeeper will integrate with certain heartrate monitors while the Nike+gps app currently does not (though the Nike+iPod (another free app) will and as said before, you can switch back and forth between apps and still save all your runs). 

Nike will loop your chosen playlist if your run goes longer than the music you selected while Runkeeper will not, and there is no option to re-start the music. If your activity exceeds your playlist in Runkeeper, you'll have to manually go back into music and make a selection.

Playing well with others
Importing/Exporting your activity:
Runtastic and Runkeeper will allow you to import/export your runs. You can also log additional activities in both.
Nike is so proprietary that you can only record runs and can neither import nor export without a third-party hack.

LoseIt will sync your activities with Nike+ and Runkeeper. MyFitnessPal will sync with Runtastic and Nike+. 

Recommendations:

If you live in an area with spotty gps, you're only wanting to track runs &/or walks, you want to use a single app for your indoor treadmill runs as well (or primarily indoor runs), or if you use the iPod touch, then Nike+gps is a hands-down winner.

If you like tracking multiple activities, prefer more feedback options, and are using an iPhone in an area with decent gps coverage, then Runkeeper is a must-have. Runtastic would be a close third.

Shoetracker:
Available in Nike+, an additional app will pull Runkeeper runs to monitor shoes.  
Runmeter and Runtastic - nope, not available.

Nike, Asics and Mizuno Running Shoe Mini-Reviews

I had stated in my review of RoadRunner Sports that I had tested at the following shoes: NikeFree, Nike Zoom Vomero, Mizuno Wave Rider, Mizuno Wave Creation, Brooks PureConnect,  Brooks Glycerin 9, Asics Gel Cumulus 14, Asics Gel Nimbus 13.

In my last post I reviewed the two minimalist shoes, NikeFree and Brooks PureConnect.  The Brooks beat out the Nike for me, so it's time to move on.  Here I'm going to do a cursory review of all but my final two choices because none of the others really stood out, despite the considerable effort I put into giving them all a fair shot at being my new favorite shoes.  Excuse the ads, but I do think a visual is quite nice when discussing shoes.


Nike Zoom Vomero: Again, really wanted to like these as I do like the Nike brand, but they were unimpressive. Not even as comfortable as my Equalon 4s and certainly not a major contender in my selections.  Comfortable fit with a decent toe box, no heel slippage, but I couldn't detect a bit of cushioning or support and certainly not very responsive. Opinions vary, but mine is that they just aren't what I'm looking for. They were cute, have the sensor pocket (though I use a gps system), love the 'just do it' brand, but can't find a shoe that will hold up to my little 20 mile/week runs. Disappointed.


Asics Gel Cumulus 14: an ok ride, comfortable and responsive enough. They certainly beat out the Nike's but just not quite what I was looking for.  Not enough cushioning for me but a decent shoe if it works for you.  Decent toe box, ok in the cushion and response, no noticeable heel slippage. They just don't compare to the Gel Nimbus 13 (a review for next time). Still, Asics is a quality shoe, and worth anyone's time to try.



Mizunos: Tried the Wave Rider and Wave Creation. Have to say that the Mizunos were a new experience. They are a nice, responsive shoe with decent cushioning and the rocking motion from the sole gives a nice subtle forward-motion that's kinda fun. The Wave Creation, despite it's heavier size, won out for me as it had a bit more of a responsiveness to it and more cushioning.  The fit was comfortable and seemed to have decent enough ventilation and a roomy fit without being too big (read: no heel slippage)

I do have to say, they are now my third-favorite shoe, and I wouldn't return them if given to me. I liked them fine and they were a strong contender, but I just didn't see myself putting these into my rotation for the next 500 miles.  That said, I will continue to test future versions and see if they move up into my favorite slot.

             vs                

Two hours of testing and the final two were the Brooks Glycerin 9 and Asics Gel Nimbus 13.  I'll take those head-to-head next time, but I can tell you this much: these are my top two favorites.  It was a difficult decision, guess which one I went home with???

114119616182701355145

Running Shoe Review: Nike Free Run vs Brooks PureConnect

I mentioned in my review of Road Runner Sports that I had tested and compared no less than 8 different shoes over a period of two hours on my most recent trip and promised a review of my findings.  Now reviewing all 8 of these is more than anyone wants to read in one sitting, so today I’ll do Nike FreeRun+3 and Brooks PureConnect. These are the only two minimalist shoes I tried, so they'll just go head to head on this review. I'm not doing a full on review since I really only tested these out on the treadmill and put probably only a mile each on them, so consider this as much of a first glance rather than an in-depth review. 



Starting with the Nike's, I have to say I really wanted to love these shoes, in fact testing them was one of the primary reasons for my trip. The idea of a truly lightweight shoe just appeals to me. Now, I'm not ever going to be a barefoot runner, it's just not me. I run on sidewalks and other man-made surfaces and I really feel the need for some man-made protection when I do. Even still, I want the lightest, most comfortable and durable shoe I can have as once I run-retire them, they become my walk-to-work shoes.  I also just like Nike. That said, the shoe was comfortable enough for walking, and so light and flexible that I might see using it for my daily commute and even Zumba, but once I hit the treadmill, I truly felt like I was running barefoot (and for me not in a good way). I missed the responsiveness and cushion I usually experience in my standard shoes (which last season were my Nike+ Zoom Equalon 4 and Brooks Glycerin 8). I felt absolutely zero support, cushion, or responsiveness - and I was totally bummed. I'll try later versions, just because I am ever optimistic about finding the perfect balance between minimalist protection and a smooth, comfortable ride but this one just wasn't it.  So...next...



My next try was the Brooks PureConnect. I have to say, I was skeptical after the Nike's, but this shoe is about the best compromise between comfort and minimalism I could find. It's comfortable for walking, flexible and truly a responsive shoe with just enough cushion so that I didn't feel like I was very literally "pounding the pavement". Brooks really got it right with this shoe. I even considered them for this season's purchase, but after considerable testing of other shoes (which we'll address in later reviews) I decided it still isn't for me, at least not yet. That said,  if and when I ever do go with a minimalist shoe, Brooks will be my first choice!  If you're considering switching from a standard neutral ride to a minimalist, definitely make the Brooks PureConnect one of your test-runs, it's the perfect transition shoe.


My take-away is that if you really want to make the to transition to barefoot running and want a shoe to help with that, while still giving you some support and responsiveness that you're used to: go Brooks. If your really ready to start scaling down and want something just a tad more supportive than a racing flat : go Nike. 

Review: RoadRunner Sports

I've never reviewed a store before, and this is a precursor to some running shoes reviews, but I do have to mention my very favorite store.

I'm a fairly new runner, only 2 years in now, and a full 6 months of that was injury and post-injury recovery. I'm still not back to my regular 5 mile runs, but I'm working on it.  When I first started running I refused to buy into the hype about running shoes. I just figured shoes were shoes and the rest was just marketing.  Well, there's a lot of marketing and hype, but I learned very quickly that proper running shoes do matter. I'm not a fan of the barefoot running movement, and my opinion may well change but for now I am a firm believer in the right shoes for the right activity.

I first went to RoadRunner Sports two years ago after a month or so of running and some resulting knee and ankle pain.  After discussions with runners and physical therapists, I decided to go get fitted for a proper pair of running shoes. RoadRunner Sports is a bit of a drive, and my first impression was that it was quite pricey.  Nevertheless, I persisted and had myself evaluated by one of their "Shoe Dogs" who identified me as mildly over-pronating and suggested some stiff neutral or light stability shoes. I had always thought I had flat feet and discovered I had quite a high arch. Now isn't that interesting. I was also fitted for their custom orthotics.  

The entire staff has a commitment to customer service that is rarely seen these days, and certainly quite rare in retail.  Since I had never purchased shoes before, I spent quite a bit of time testing out the recommendations. There are many treadmills there so you can test them out as long as you need to. I spent some time going back and forth between their two recommendations and a couple I wanted to try before I finally decided on a pair of Nike Zoom Equalon 4s. My first run the next day I noticed a significant difference. No more knee or ankle pain - wow! I have been a convert of proper shoes ever since.  I also identified a second brand, Brooks Glycerin 8, that I intended to purchase later to add into my rotation.  

I should also mention that after a few months I noticed some knee and ankle pain returning.  By going back into my running app (Nike+gps at the time), I identified that I had hit over 450 miles - time for those new shoes.  Not only did I learn that shoes matter, but replacing them at the right time also matters.

When it came time to replace my beloved Brooks (they had become my favorite), I went back to Roadrunner Sports for a new evaluation.  I could have just ordered new shoes, but I did want to see if, after some time, there had been any difference in my running style.  I had thought I no longer needed the stability shoe and could move into a straight neutral, but I did want that to be confirmed since I didn't want to risk yet another injury.

This second trip is what really sold me on this store.  As expected, working on my form had been successful and I was no longer overpronating and I had some new shoe recommendations.  Now came the fun, test driving new rides.  The staff was exceedingly helpful and pleasant as I tried all of these: NikeFree, Nike Zoom Vomero, Mizuno Wave Rider, Mizuno Wave Creation, Brooks PureConnect,  Brooks Glycerin 9, Asics Gel Cumulus 14, Asics Gel Nimbus 13.  A full 2 hours later, after test runs back and forth, I finally decided on my new shoes (and identified another one for a later purchase). I'll leave the decision for a later review.  Suffice it to say, I got quite the workout, and so did the staff.  Wow, not even a hint of exasperation as I was handed off to another staff member when the first one went off to lunch, and he came back twice as helpful afterwards when I was still there.

I'm sold, not only will I go back for my regular purchases, but if I can't make it I'll order online because clearly they have great hiring and training practices.  Such great customer service deserves loyalty!  Oh, and I've never found my rides cheaper than their VIP price.  BTW: there's a clearance section in the back that's well worth checking out for some real bargains on discontinued models - now that's worth the drive!

 If you don't have a Roadrunner Sports in your area, find the closest running specialty store, but if you have a choice - they're worth the drive.